ACT OF DISTRUST

The MoD letter on May 28 clearly indicated her refusal to trust her own generals, who may be capable of leading troops in war, countering security threats and taking life/death decisions in deciding closure of roads. The letter stated that all decisions on closure of roads would be done by the MoD.

It implied that either the defence secretary or the principal director, defence estates, who have no idea of the cantonment concerned, nor knowledge on security, would determine if roads should be closed or not. The fact that her decision was meant to assuage her party followers was evident when members of her party celebrated in Khadki and Danapur.

They did not celebrate a symbolic victory over their own army, an action that was criticised nor a statement issued against it by anyone in the BJP hierarchy. Similar was the comment by Gadkari in Mumbai when he stated that "not an inch of land will be given to the Indian Navy."

Sitharaman's meeting army families only implies a postponing of what has already been decided. While officers' accommodations are fewer and far between, those of jawans are close and in large clusters, adding to security issues. Therefore, anger flows from across the rank and file of the army. A glance through social media would bare open that anger. Is the defence minister aware that there are already reports of misbehaviour by locals and damage to property in cantonments? Has she visited Soumyadip Jana, the 15-year-old victim of the Sanjuwan terror strike, who is still in coma. His was the first house that terrorists struck at. She would have been briefed that major cantonment roads have always been open and only minor roads are closed.

Ordering removal of all checks makes cantonments more vulnerable than malls and hotels. In fact, the logical decision should have been done on a case-by-case basis, rather than a unilateral, across the board one. Protests outside the cantonment in Secunderabad demanding opening every axis has divided the nation as never before. The BJP is in a bind. If it unilaterally withdraws its order, its local vote bank will be up in arms. If it continues with the decision, it will anger the serving and veteran community. The armed forces community is already angry with the BJP on multiple issues.